Intergovernmental cooperation in health policy: the experience with vertical public consortia in Ceará State, Brazil

Abstract

This study analyzed the first experience with vertical health consortia in Ceará State, Brazil, in order to shed light on their implementation. In the theoretical field, the article establishes a dialogue with studies on the state government's role in federalism and intergovernmental cooperation in health. A qualitative study was based on interviews with administrators associated with the consortia at the municipal, regional, and state levels, in addition to document analysis and a literature review. The results indicate that the implementation of consortia was designed by the state government and conducted initially in centralized fashion. A relationship of coordination was established with the definition of the arrangement's institutional design. We identified four factors that favor vertical cooperation in the state: (i) the history of health policy in Ceará; (ii) action by the state government as the coordinating body in the regionalization process; (iii) the existence of policy leaders and cohesion in the bureaucracy; and (iv) juxtaposition between the consortia's institutional design and the decision-making structure of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). Vertical consortia represent a step forward in overcoming the negative effects of decentralization.